Warwickshire is set to be split in half as part of a major reorganisation of local government.

Two new councils are set to be created in the county, one for the north and one for the south, following a decision announced by the government yesterday (17 July).

The new authorities will replace the existing county council and all the district and borough councils in Warwickshire.

The new set-up has been welcomed by some, but not all, as the local councils were split on what was the best way forward.

Key dates

In his letter to the leaders of the six major councils in Warwickshire, Steve Reed MP, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, explained the outline plans for the major shake up.

The existing councils are due to be abolished in April 2028, and the two new councils formed.

In May 2027, elections will be held across the county to vote in councillors for the new shadow authorities.

These elections will replace any district or borough elections due to take place.

Town council elections scheduled for 2027 - including Kenilworth Town Council - will still take place.

Councillors at the current district and borough councils will have their terms extended by a year.

A single 'implementation team' formed of officers from across the area will also be created.

What will the new councils look like?

Warwickshire was split on how to divide its councils.

Warwickshire County Council's bid was for one huge council to replace all the existing ones. Rugby Borough Council made a late bid to back the county-wide option.

Meanwhile the borough councils of Nuneaton & Bedworth and North Warwickshire and the district councils of Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon wanted the county to be split north-south.

The reorganisation will see one unitary council to cover the north of Warwickshire, including North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby.

A second unitary council will cover the south of Warwickshire, including Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick.

Currently, services are split across the two tiers of local government in Warwickshire.

The districts and boroughs handle planning, housing, bin collections and more.

Meanwhile roads, education, social care are among the services handled by the county council.

It remains to be seen how these big-ticket items will be split across the new authorities.

Why two councils?

In his decision, Mr Reed said it had the "interests of residents at its heart".

Initially it was suggested new councils would serve regions of around 500,000.

This was then reduced to around 300,000, which fits the profile of two new councils for Warwickshire.

"Turning to the reasons for my decision, in my judgement, although the other proposal also met the criteria for unitary local government, overall I consider my selected option to be the better option for Warwickshire, as this proposal reflects the realities of the county's different economies, identities, and demographics," Mr Reed wrote.

"My selected option performed particularly well because it will support the integration of housing and planning policies and strategies at a sensible geographic level, in line with local priorities and need.

"It will also provide greater flexibility for future devolution, and enable each council to deliver place-based, locally responsive public services tailored to local needs in the north and south of Warwickshire."

What have the councils said?

Despite being split on how Warwickshire should be divided, the local councils released a joint statement on Thursday following the announcement.

The six councils said: "We note the government's decision to create two unitary councils for Warwickshire.

"We recognise that councils across Warwickshire have held different views on the best structure for local government in the county.

"All six councils have a history of working well together and have been praised by government for being an area where cooperation is high.

"We remain committed to continuing to work together constructively and responsibly as we move into the next stage of this process.

"Our shared priority is to make sure residents, businesses and communities continue to receive the services they rely on, and that the move to the new councils is managed carefully and in the best interests of Warwickshire.

"There is now important work to do. We will work closely with government, partners, our staff and councillors to support a smooth transition and to help shape the best possible future for local services."